Friday, January 30, 2009

I worked my ass off all year at work and ended up only using 4 hours of sick time. That left me with 36 hours of paid sick time and 80 hours of paid vacation time. My credit card is now paid off. I feel liberated. By the end of the year my car will be paid off. I will put the vast majority of my tax refund toward the car. I feel like I've been struggling against this debt for so long that I won't know what to do with myself when I actually get to spend the money I earn on things other than loan payments and bullshit that wasn't worth all the effort. I will be able to go to school, save money for a nice digital camera and maybe take a trip to Europe. A girl needs culture and to get the hell out of dodge sometimes. And pretty pictures. Euro pictures will be amazing.This picture above is one Richie took when we were in Walker, AZ. It's me taking a photo on my old 35mm Canon Rebel. It feels good to find a visual representation of me saying bye bye to the heavy load of debt and hello to many more photo expeditions. My posture even looks slumpy. Oddly seems like a bonus at the moment.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Protege' II will now rightfully take her place as Protege' I. Henceforth known only as Protege'. She has clutched the reins with zest! In all the clutching, I'm beginning to let go and move into my new position. There is still much to be learned at taught for both of us. This strange transition of simultaneous teaching and learning has made me consider where I might want to be in the future. Protege' says I'm a really good teacher. She could just being saying it to be nice, but I will take the higher ground and assume she really means it. I used to consider becoming a teacher "when I grow up" and I still haven't set a path in stone for that allusive time, but if it's possible to major in social work and work that into teaching, I might not be opposed to it. I think people learn best when they know WHY?. Why? has always been important to me, and since I'm forgetful, the why? enables me to use reasoning rather than just floundering for the end product.I have developed a 5 Year Plan. Very rough plan. This year I can finally fill out a FAFSA using my own information. Goodness knows I should have been able to right from the moment I hit 18, but the disillusioned government thinks for some crazy reason that I was going to get a shred of help from my parents. Bah. Well, I'll be FAFSA-ing away this year and next semester I will begin taking at least two-three classes per semester, internet classes if possible, and getting my arse in gear about this school business. I could have already earned a Bachelors in Social Work, but I decided to take a year off of school. A six year year off is a bit much. So, there's my plan. Read it and weep. ..for joy?

Sunday, January 25, 2009

I strongly dislike being alone. I don't have little projects and crap to keep me occupied like some people have. When I'm doing something, I like there to be people around doing things with me or at least making noise in the next room. If by some crazy chance I'm left at home alone, my immediate reaction is to find someone that I can do things with--I am a fish out of water, gulping in vain.

What do I like to do...? Hmm...*Photography--going on little road trips to take photos in ghost towns*Eating delicious food with others*Singing in the shower/car/where ever I can sing that I don't actually hear my voice. When I sing with someone that sounds good, it usually sounds good. I just need to keep the bumpers up like they do in bowling for small children.which brings me to...*Bowling*Swimming*Doing various sexual and non sexual things with different types of balls*Listening to good music*Checking my Myspace and actually finding messages (rare!)*Going to the movies*Going to local music shows*Going to big name music shows*Watching TV with my cat laying on my belly purring*Spending time with people when we have a goal (ie eating, playing a board game, etc)*Family activities*Shopping, including antiquing

I often find myself feeling social discomfort due to lack of common interest or lack of ability to express myself for fear of judgment. I am a closed off unit.I am alone right now. I feel this sense of urgency like I need to be somewhere doing something. I just made a pointless list of things that occupy my time because I'm wasting time thinking about something to do. My mind is tinged with anxiety right now. It's freaking weird. I guess I could attribute it to always being with people in my younger years; at a minimum there were 5 kids in the house, up to 14 kids at one point, transients, miscreants, really a potpourri of children and adults.At the moment all I've got are my two kitties. The tragic truth of the matter is I will some day be the crazy cat lady. Stinky. Hair saturated life. Rambling. Cat. Lady.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Soooooo... Jittery Dark Hair from my previous post was, as I'd feared, eaten alive. She only came in for a half day too. Wimp. I started training Protege' II on Tuesday, she's a bit more positive and outgoing. I'm sure the sales guys thought they'd be getting off easy with this one but they were in for a surprise when her personality turned out to be right along the same sarcastic lines as mine. I will be glad someone is giving them crap in my absence.I fear the dryness of accounting. So many numbers, so few loud salespeople distractions. I must keep muttering "learning experience, learning experience, learning experience..." to keep myself on track. My last day with my muse in accounting will be Tuesday, then I'm on my own aside from the help I will undoubtedly receive from the two other gals in there. I don't know how I'm going to sneak Lamb of God or Machinehead onto my hard drive or even on a disk into that place. It seems like the CD might disintegrate as I walk through the threshold. Worry not, rock and roll, I shall smuggle thee in on a burned CD sneakily titled "The Best of Eric Clapton." That oughta throw off the scent pretty well. I suppose I could just invest in headphones.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

I got a promotion. Sort of. I got offered a position in the accounting dept, which is a step up from administrative assistant and gives me the fancy title "Accounting Clerk". I will soon be wearing glasses and acting aloof. Very aloof.When one is offered a sort-of-promotion, one begins to think of all the things they might miss from their former position. Ones mind makes stuff up that one might miss...such as conducting horrendous interviews and even answering even worse ad calls up to 60 times a day repeating the same information over and over. But I won't miss those things. I will miss working closely with some interesting and exciting people. I will also miss being able to fart in my own office and no one knowing about it. I'll have to get one of those fart mats I can put on my chair so no one knows about my secret farting except for me and the poor charcoal fart mat. I think it's cool that they exist and I just want to keep saying "fart mat" for all the world to hear. Added bonus: They're only like $25. Sweeeeeet.Oh yes, the reason it's a sort-of-promotion is because I'm not getting a raise or any extra benefits. I will be making the same pay and doing more work. I like using my brain and learning new things, but my comfort zone is embedded in the depths of the sales department and I will miss my spacious office with a beautiful view of the outside landscaping. I have been in the same cozy position for 4 years. I suppose we must all lose things in order to advance. I will be training my protege' tomorrow. She is a tiny dark haired thing just out of high school, bright eyed and jittery about getting started. I will keep my fingers crossed they don't eat her alive.

Monday, January 12, 2009

While doing his normal boring research, Richard stumbled upon an interesting tale of how this cute little fellow might be able to make my life better!A little background info, I have Ulcerative Colitis, which is pretty unpleasant to say the least. It popped up with a vengeance in mid 2006. My early 20's was no time for a bleeding painful colon. My beer intake plummeted along with my fervent zest for life. More on that later...Turns out the so called Ice Man (named Otzi), the oldest found frozen human, also appears to have had this disease. The discovery lead a bunch of researchers to realize he may have not suffered as much as the average bear all thanks to his parasite infested intestines. Studies are currently being done regarding whip worms and hookworms and their relation to inflammatory diseases. Things are looking good. I don't mind crammin' some worms in there if it makes me feel better, and I'm also pretty stoked about being a kindred butt spirit with the Ice Man! Woopah, all you disease free bastards! Bonus: Otzi appears to have exceeded my coolness by leagues, sporting gauged ears (way before his time!) and tattoos (possibly used for acupuncture).

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About Me

It slices! It dices! And it makes French fries three different ways! I'm a human and I do human things. I live in Phoenix, AZ with my grumpy old man Richard and our cat, Jari and our dogs, Dakota (a Shiba Inu), Menka, an adorable, neurotic, small mutt, and Rosie the best aggressively attention seeking lovebug around.
I started this blog because I enjoy writing. It shall be a tale of my wobbliness and chasing-parked-cars attempts at staying afloat and maybe surprising myself from time to time.
I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2006 and I'm living with it. That being said, you will become very comfortable talking about poop and other such indecencies. Consider it a growing experience.
I also have a LOT of family; I'm the oldest of five kids. One side of my family are brazen hill billies and the other side are city slickers. This has melded me into quite the little oddball, but I sure get by alright.